Create In Me A Clean Heart

Psalm 51 ... designated for today ... is one of the few psalms ... where we are given ... the historical background ... that led to the writing of this Psalm.

The inscription reads, ..."A Psalm of David when Nathan the prophet came to him, ... after he had gone into ...Bathsheba."

That identifies clearly for us ...the incident out of which ... this psalm arose.

It was the time ... when David the king ... became involved in ... the double sin ... of adultery and of ... murder.

And it is interesting ... that David himself... records this sin ... for us.

David entered into an adulterous relationship with Bathsheba ... the wife of Uriah ... the Hittite. (2 Samuel 11:3)

Later, when he learned that she was expecting a child, ...he panicked ...and tried to cover up ...his actions.

David knew ... that ultimately ...his sin ...would be found out ...so he took ... yet another dark step.

Beloved ... That is always a trademark of sin ... it leads you on... deeper and deeper into its abyss, ...farther than you ever ... intended to go.

Before the king knew it, ... he found himself... forced into a desperate attempt... to cover up his evil.

He ordered Uriah, ... the husband of Bathsheba, ... to be put in the forefront of the battle ... where he would most certainly... be killed. (2 Samuel 11:15)

And when news of Uriah's death reached King David ... he thought ... he was off the hook, ... he had safely covered ... his sin.

But his sin continued ... to haunt him. (Long Pause)

Do you remember Edgar Allen Poe's story, ... "The Telltale Heart"?

In that story, ... the main character committed a murder ... and he buries the body of the victim ...in his basement.

Yet ... the murderer is unable to escape the haunting guilt... of his deed.

He begins to hear...... the heartbeat of his dead victim.

A cold sweat pours over him ... as that heartbeat goes on and on, relentlessly, ... getting louder and louder.

Eventually, ... it becomes clear ... at least To the reader... that the pounding which drove the man mad ...was not in the grave below ...but the beating ... in his own ... chest. (Pause)

You get the sense ... that is how David felt.

The guilt ... became unbearable.

Beloved ... Sin unless addressed ... will haunt you ... and haunt you ...and haunt you!

But ... God loved David so much ... that he was not going to let him continue ... to damage himself and his entire kingdom ... by this hidden sin.

So, what did God do; ... God sent the prophet Nathan... to David.

When David was confronted, ... he did not deny the sin ... he acknowledged ... this terrible sin.

He fell on his face before God ... and out of that experience of confession ... we received ...the beautiful ... 51st Psalm.

And these infamous words contained therein:

BIBLE "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." END (Psalm 51:10).

First and foremost, ... There is a Need in each of Our Lives ... in the life of every human being ... For Cleansing (Pause)

There is a story of two bachelors who were talking one day, ... and their conversation drifted ... from politics ... to sports ... to of all things ... cooking.

One of them said, "I got a cookbook once, ... but I could never do a thing with it."

The other one said, "Too much work, was it?"

The first one replied, "Yeah, ... it sure was.

Every one of the recipes began the same way ... (Slow) ... 'Take a clean dish.'" (Long Pause)

The problem with our relationship with God is much the same.

God says, ... "Take a clean life", ... and we go, "What! ... Hold on, ... there could be a problem here.

Why?

Because Paul tells us in Romans, "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)

We have what? All sinned; ... we all are in need... of forgiveness.

The concept of forgiveness, ... of being made right with God, ... is pictured in the Scriptures ... in many different ways:

Sometimes as a new birth, ... or the crossing out of a debt, ... or the breaking off of a heavy chain.

But the picture of forgiveness that David uses ... in Psalm 51 ... is perhaps the most common picture ...throughout the word of God.

He describes forgiveness ... as a cleansing. "Create in me a clean heart, O God."

A few verses earlier, David wrote, BIBLE "Wash me thorough and through from my wickedness; and cleanse me from my sin." (Psalm 51:2). And then in verse 8, "Purge me from my sin and I shall be pure; Wash me, and I shall be made clean indeed." END (Psalm 51:8).